Apparatus for testing tubes.



A. M. SAUNDERS & P. N. SPELLER.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING TUBES. 'APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 9, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

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A. M. SAUNDERS & F. NpSPELLER.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9,1911. 1,036,912, Patented Aug.27, 1912.

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WITNESSES mfzm I 7 fifi/ w COLUMBIA FLANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON, D. C.-

WNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

AUGUSTUS M. SAUNDERS, OF MGKEESPORT, AND FRANK N. SPELLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 NATIONAL TUBE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING TUBES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS M. SAUNDERS, of McKeesport, and FRANK N. SPELLER, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Apparatus for Testing Tubes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our invention relates to the testing of boiler tubes and similar annular articles before the tubes are put to the use for which they are ultimately intended, andmore particularly relates to the crushing and flanging tests to which sections or short pieces of the tubes are usually subjected as part of the steps employed in manufacturing such tubes.

The invention further relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus used in making such tests of novel construction and having improved means for effecting the testing operations.

Heretofore, in testing tubes, it has been the practice to take a short section of tube and in subjecting it to the crushing test flatten it by means of a hammer or a by draulic press. Another piece or the same piece of the tube is then flanged on one end to effect the fianging test, these operations being entirely separate and independent of each other.

One object of our invention is to provide tubetesting apparatus having novel means whereby the crushing and fianging tests are applied and carried out, the time required in making the tests is greatly reduced and the expense connected with the testing operation is lessened.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus for carrying out the testing operations by the use of which the tubes or tube sections are subjected to a more rigid and severe test than heretofore.

A further object of this invention is to provide pipe testing apparatus having novel means for mechanically holding the pipe sections in position until after the crushing test is started and completed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 632,221.

one form of testing apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1 showing the construction of the jaws of the testing apparatus by which the crushing test is applied and by which the pipe is clamped and held in position while being subjected to the Hanging test. Fig. 4: is a plan and Fig. 5 a side elevation of a section of pipe showing the shape into which the cylindrical sections or pieces of pipe are pressed in subjecting the sections of pipe to the crushing and the flanging tests.

Referring to the drawings 2 designates the base of our improved testing apparatus having secured thereto by means of the bolts 3 a single acting hydraulic cylinder a. Mounted in the cylinder 4 is a vertically movable plunger 5 and the lower end of the plunger is provided with a flange 5 having openings therein through which the bolts 3 extend so as to form guides for the movable plunger.

On the top end of the hydraulic cylinder 4: is a smaller pull-back cylinder 6 having a plunger 7 therein. The upper end of the plunger 7 is provided with a cross-head 8. The cross-head 8 is connected by means of bolts 9 with the flanged end of the plunger 5 in the cylinder 4. The cylinder 4 is provided with a stufiing boX 10 and gland 11 and the pull-back cylinder 6 also is provided with a stufling box 12 and gland 13 so as to prevent leakage from these cylinders.

Removably secured on the top of the base 2 of the apparatus is a detachable clamping jaw 14 and opposite this clamping jaw is a horizontally reciprocating clamping jaw 15 which is shown secured by one end to the outer end of the piston rod 16 for the horizontal double acting cylinder 17. The cylinder 17 is mounted on the shelf or'bracket 18 which is formed integral on one side of the base 2 of the apparatus. The cylinder 17 is also fastened to the top end of the base section is being held in position between the v opposing crushing and clamping jaws 1 1 and 15. Preferably a magnet coil 21ispro-- vided on the plunger 5 which is arranged to surround, and, whenenergized, to magnetize' the flanging die 20, the coil as shown moving vertically with the flanging die 20.

As will be best seen from Figs. 1 and 3, a vertically extending recess having 'an-ope'n side is providedin the base plate 2 so that pieces of pipe of varying lengths can be placed in position between the clamping jaws 1 1 and 15.

Mounted on the base of the apparatus is a stop 22 which is detachably secured in place on the base 2-, this'stop being detachable so that by substituting one stop for another of a diflerent length thedow'nw'ard stroke of the plunger5 may'b'evar'ied to suit the conditions required.

In theoperations of testing the-pipe by means ofour improveda'pp'aratus forming this invention, the parts are erectedtogether in place as shown'and the inlets to the fluid pressure cylinders forming'pa rt'of the apparatus are connected toa sourceoffluid pressure supply, suitable controlling valves being provided to "regulate thesupply' of fluid tothese cylinders. The horizontally movable clamping jaw 15 is then" retracted ing die 20 is raised untilin the position shown in the drawings. When a boiler tube is cut to length in the course of itsmanufacture, the operative takes 'the crop-end or relatively short piece cut from thetube' and places it in position betw'een the clamping jaws 14 and 15" with its upperend'inen gagement 'withthe" lower surface of the fianging die 20. The magnet coil 21, when employed,-"is energized so that the die-"20 will be magnetized, and when" so" niagnetized, this die 20"will?hol'd or maintain the crop-end or piece of tube'in position in engagement with its lower face. pressure is then admitted to-the" cylinder 17 so as to advancethe'clamping jaw-"15 into the position shown-in Fig. 1. In this op.- eration the portion of the length of'thepip'e engaged bythe clampingjaws 14 and l5'is crushed fiat so as to test the pipe forcrushing. Fluid pressure is then'admittd tothe cylinder 4 and the flanging-"dieQO iscause'd a to descend andis' lowered'untiltheface of this die is"engagedbylthestop'22. By the downward movement ot 'the die 20; -;the*upper' end of the section of tube then being gripped between the clamping jaws lt' and 15 is flanged-so as todetermine" theflanging Fluitl tween the flattened portion formed by the first or flanging test and now being held betweenthe jaws 14 and 15, and the upper end of the tube in contact with the die 20 is simultaneously flanged so" that any defects will be indicated in the crop end or piece of tube being tested. (See Figs. 1 and 5.) The above described operations are then repeated upon the crop ends of the successive tubes as the tubes are cut to length, and in this way each'tube is subjected to a crushing and a fianging test while'byfirst subjecting the piece of tube to'the crushing test and then subjecting the Samepi'eCeOftube to'a flanging test, thetube is tested much more severelythan has been'the case heretofore and, should the pipestand this test, it'canbe considered practically certain that the tube from whichthe tested section is cut is aniar ketable product.

Modificationsin th'e'construct-ion and arrangement of the parts forming the testing apparatus; may be made without departing from our invention as" defined in the appendedclaims;

We claim 1. Apparatus'fo'r testing'tubes and the likecomprising atube"*cla-mping mechanism arrangedto crushand 'hold the flattened tube sections while being flanged, a flanging mechanism adapted to engage with and flange the uncru's'he'd' end of the flattened tube'se'ctions grasped by the clamping mechanism, and means'fonactuating the clamping and fianging mechanisms.

2. Apparatus for testing tubes and the like comprising i a tube clamping mechanism arranged to crush and hold the fiattenedtube sections while being flangedy a flanging mechanism arranged to engage and flange the uncrushedend of the flattened tube sections in the grasp of the clamping mechanism, means for holding;- the 'tube sections in engagement with E the flangingmechanism while actuating the clampingmechanism' to crushand flatten the tube sectionsyand means foractuating the tube" clamping -and flanging mechanisms:

. 3i In appai'atus for testing tubes and the like the'combination with mechanism for Hanging-the endof the tubes being tested and mechanism for clamping and holding the tubes while being-flanged ofmeans whereby the'tubes "are held in position against the flanging mechanism while being grasped by tlietube clamping-mechanism, and means for actuating thetube clamping. and flanging mechanisms.

4. r In apparatus for 3 testing tubesand 'the like the "combination with a *base having a vertically extending recess 1 or slot in one side thereof and a' horizontally adjustable tube clamping mechanism mounted on said basey'of' a vertically movable flanging inechanism*above the clamping mechanism ar-' ranged to engage and flange the end of a tube section held in position by the clamping mechanism and means for actuating said tube clamping and fianging mechanisms.

5. Apparatus for testing tubes and the like comprising a base having a vertically extending recess or slot in one side thereof, relatively movable clamping jaws above said slot arranged to grasp and crush tubes placed between said jaws, a fluid pressure cylinder for actuating the clamping jaws to crush and hold the tubes being tested, a vertically movable piston above the clamping jaws having a flanging die removably secured thereon, a fluid pressure cylinder secured on said base in which the piston is mounted and means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder to actuate the flauging die and flange the end of tube sections held between the jaws of said clamping mechanism.

6. Apparatus for testing tubes and the like comprising a base having a vertically extending recess or slot in one side thereof, relatively movable clamping jaws above said slot arranged to grasp and crush tubes placed between said jaws, a fluid pressure cylinder for actuating the clamping jaws to crush and hold the tubes being tested, a vertically movable piston above the clamping jaws having a flanging die removably secured thereon, a fluid pressure cylinder secured on said base in which the piston is mounted and means for supplying fluid relatively movable clamping jaws above said slot arranged to grasp and crush tubes placed between said jaws, a fluid pressure cylinder for actuating the clamping jaws to crush and hold the tubes being tested, a vertically movable piston above the clamping jaws having a fianging die removably secured thereon, a fluid pressure cylinder secured on said base in which the piston is mounted and means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinders to actuate the clamping jaws and the flanging die and flange the end oi. tube sections held between the jaws of said clamping mechanism.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

AUGUSTUS M. SAUNDERS.

FRANK N. SPELLER.

Witnesses:

JAs. P. DAVIS, T HOS. W. BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washingtoml). 0." 

